Our Mission

As I write, Florida is preparing to be hit with a hurricane. The whole state is under state of emergency orders, some predictable, some just in case. People are buying water and propane, boarding up windows, bringing in things that normally “live” outside.

Some folks are very worried, because they have had lots of flooding and wind damage in the past. Some are not worried much, if at all. “We normally get a lot of rain, but nothing more.” Today, we know that the track of the storm is not set, and the actual path will be something of a surprise.

That’s how it is with life. Although we know the general path our life will take, we know there will be bumps and side trips along the way. There will certainly be construction zones here and there as well. While we occasionally forget that God never leaves us, it’s best if we remember we are never out of God’s watchful gaze.

And, it’s the same with congregations. There are storms, bumps, side trips, and construction zones. Congregations in transition experience a lot of bumps and side trips, and occasional construction zones. They will cause the congregation to assess their current path and determine if there is a somewhat different track that God is now urging them to take.

The future is not set, any more than a hurricane’s path is set when it first forms. It may take us a while to determine exactly where we are headed. But the future is surely guided by God. Let’s trust that the new path is just where God is calling us to be next.

Pax

Pastor Lynn

The council met on September 27^th as we prepare the arrival of Hurricane Ian and pray all will be safe in the path of the storm!

 In addition to the regular council meeting, the council also met with Pastor Rob Carlson during his visit to UELC on September 22^nd to reflect on and discuss our church congregation.

At the monthly council meeting, we reviewed and submitted a sustainability survey as requested by the Synod. Many thanks to Rachel Cook for coordinating the responses and to all those who provided input.

There are several exciting things planned for the remainder of the year and I will mention just one for now. On Reformation Sunday (October 30), we are planning to hold a “UELC History Event” after worship. This exercise is one of the first parts to the transition process as laid out by the Florida Bahamas Synod. This will be a time for us to remember and reflect in order to put our congregation’s history into focus and identify any trends.  The Campus Ministry group, working in conjunction with our Hospitality team will be hosting a meal to coincide with this event. Please mark your calendars for this fun event. We will have a virtual option available for those who are unable to attend in person.

As we approach the end of the year and look towards the Annual Congregational meeting, the nominating committee will be putting together a slate of candidates for various positions within the congregation. Please prayerfully consider if a position on council, the audit committee or the nominating committee might be a place where you can serve and use your gifts.

And we are most pleased to welcome Ana Mattos as our pianist!

Best regards,

Becky Borgert

Ana, our new pianist at UELC, is a graduate student at UF studying music education and performance (clarinet). She also assists with the Gator Marching Band and has a busy first semester! Already we enjoyed a meditative clarinet prelude to worship and look forward to more of her musical offerings. Ana comes to us from Lake Worth where she attends a Lutheran Church; her father is Music Director at Ascension Lutheran Church in Boynton Beach. She received a Bachelor of Music Degree at Florida Atlantic University where she won numerous honors and awards.

Congregations in transition benefit from reviewing their history and noticing patterns and trends. On October 30, after a celebratory lunch offered by HAT and Campus Ministry, we will take some time to share the history of University Evangelical Lutheran Church.

October Servants

Preacher: Ps. Lynn Fonfara

UELC People

Anyone in the congregation who is experiencing financial difficulties due to the ongoing pandemic, please reach out to Pastor. We have a "discretionary fund" that might be able to be utilized to assist those who find themselves in this situation.

UELC Council

Let’s try this. I envision the evening study to include a variety of topics, chosen by participants. We’ll meet on Zoom for about an hour on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesdays at 7pm.

Offering Direct Deposits

LIFT

Due to the Covid pandemic LIFT (Lutherans In Fellowship Together) has not met for its monthly potluck luncheons for the past two years. We plan on restarting the luncheons by the summer of this new year. Of course, that depends on a lessening of the impact that Covid-19 and it many variants have on our lives. Let us all be responsible and stay safe. 

LIFT coordinator 

Young Adult and Campus Ministry

Weekly meetings continue every Thursday at 5:30 pm for dinner and a program. Details about a fall retreat are coming soon. For inquiries, please contact Peer Ministers Wilson Matungwa at wilsonlameck4@gmail.com or Joel Beaudry at joelbeaudry@yahoo.com.

And thank you to the gameday football parkers!

The Bee

Family Promise

Two mothers and four children called UELC 'home' during the week of Sept. 18-25, our last Family Promise hosting of this year. Thank you to our volunteers who enabled their safe shelter, healthy meals, and a warm environment to play and chat. Although both mothers had jobs that caused them to arrive late some evenings, I think all who met these two families found them fun and engaging. For the first time in a while, the Lutheran Gators were able to host the families (with Jeanne at the chef helm) on their weekly Thursday evening meeting. As in August, our volunteer numbers were graciously supplemented with a few from our support congregation, Holy Faith. 

Thankfully, our host week ended before the threat of Hurricane Ian. Family Promise of Gainesville moved families into a hotel to ride out the storm and alleviate pressure on the host church that week. They put out a call for gas and grocery gift cards to help all FP families in shelter (not just those in the congregation rotation program) prepare for the storm. Although it's too late for that drive, gift cards are always welcome and the stack likely needs replenishing. Contact me at amy_schirmer @yahoo.com if you'd like to contribute gift cards for gas, Publix, Winn-Dixie or Aldi. 

The Fall Fundraiser surpassed its goal to raise $30,000 with its annual luncheon hosted at First Presbyterian Church on Sept. 22. UELC donated $500 toward the effort, and a month before we gave $300 worth of gift cards for families. For more information on the happenings at Family Promise of Gainesville, join their group on Facebook and/or visit the website at familypromisegvl.org.

Thank you for your support! Amy: amy_schirmer @yahoo.com

September 1, 2022

Dear University Evangelical Lutheran Church

Thank you for your donation of $300 in Publix gift cards.

We rely on such donations to help sustain us throughout the year. In 2021, we served 56 families and provided more than 900 rental and utility assistance services. However, there are still over 600 children who were identified as homeless within the Alachua County school system. With your help, we are working to end childhood homelessness in our community.

With gratitude,

Jayne Moraski

Executive Director, Family Promise of Gainesville

Village of Hope

The Gainesville Interfaith Alliance for Immigrant Justice (IAIJ) is a coalition of groups supporting various entities that are impacted by immigration policies, including asylum-seekers, farmworkers, and people in ICE detention.

You may be aware from news broadcasts that there is increasing concern and heightened awareness of abusive conditions at the Baker County Detention Center where people awaiting immigration hearings are incarcerated. Volunteer visitors with Baker Interfaith Friends have been receiving reports of medical neglect and a range of human rights violations that culminated in a hunger strike at the facility last spring. Retaliation was swift for those involved but repercussions were widespread, alerting a number of groups throughout the state who became involved in seeking accountability from immigration and prison officials. This summer the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Florida delivered civil rights complaints and eventually called for closure of the detention facility. The Gainesville IAIJ signed on to the complaints along with other groups statewide. (Baker Interfaith Friends, the volunteer visitation group, is not publicly involved.) This is very much an on-going issue with many people involved. I am happy to speak with anyone further and hope that all will stay informed about immigration issues.

Our Pastor and Staff